Was it Just a Dream?
by Bella Dazzles
Summary: If you asked me 2 weeks ago if I ever thought I'd spend a lust filled night of pure passion with the man of my dreams, the answer would have been 'Not in a million years' But fate has its own ways of making things happen. *Rated M for LEMONY GOODNESS* OOC
1. Chapter 1

**Hi Everyone, **

**This is my first time publishing here on . This story is MAINLY a work of fiction. Part of it is based on some of the events that happened in my life, and some that I only wish happened. I'd love to hear your questions, comments, suggestions or anything you wish to say. I've got most of the story already written I'm just in the process of re-working some of the chapters so it will be completed soon. I promise you won't be waiting months for it all. It will be 3 - 4 chapters and possibly an epilogue of some happily ever after if you guys want it...we shall see :D**

**The Characters belong to Stephanie Meyers, but the heartbreak, drama and lemony goodness are all mine.**

**Please Enjoy.**

Chapter 1:

If you asked me two weeks ago if I ever thought I'd spend a lust filled night of pure passion with the man of my dreams, the answer would have been 'Not in a million years!'

But fate has its own ways of making things happen, and you can't argue with fate.

Who is this so-called 'man of my dreams' you ask. His name is Edward Anthony Masen Cullen...Yes it is quite the mouthful... We used to be neighbours back when we were kids, well I was a kid, and he was 18 when he moved in with his family so technically he was an adult.

The day he moved in I knew that my life had changed irrevocably. Edward was some sort of Greek God re-incarnated. He was a beautiful male specimen. Wild auburn hair styled in a way that could only be described as 'sex hair', piercing emerald green eyes that were framed with amazingly long eye lashes that would make any girl jealous, a perfect smile that when he truly meant it, was a little bit crooked, that was my favourite smile. And his body! Wow! He had a body that could have been made out of pure marble. He was tall, long and lean with perfectly chiselled abs that you could do your laundry on, sexy shoulders and of course the perfect ass!

There weren't many people under the age of 30 in our townhouse complex so he didn't have too many options for friends, and his younger siblings didn't count considering they were nearly 10 years younger than he was. Basically, he had the option of the 17 year old Mike Newton, that we all referred to as the village idiot, the 21 year old resident lunatic who swore up and down that she could see the future in 'magical visions' also known as Alice Brandon, or the cute and lovable girl next door; Me.

Now, I know what you're thinking...The obvious choice would be me, the smart and sane girl next door. The downside however, I was only 15. In the eyes of an adult I was an underage and still in high school kid. But in my defence I really was quite mature for my age, I had to be. I was often left to fend for myself as my dad worked long hours and when I was living with my mom it was like nothing else. When it was me and her, _I _was the adult in the house, I had a part time job, and I did most of the grocery shopping and the cooking _and_ the cleaning. So you could say that I easily acted like I was at least 18!

I still swear that it was by some miracle that the truly gorgeous Edward Cullen chose to befriend me. It wasn't always easy though, I think I was the only person in the world who truly understood what _Britney Spears_ meant when she sang 'Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman' because that's where I was trapped.

I was incredibly short, I still am unfortunately. Sadly though, some things never change. I had long chocolate brown hair that fell in natural loose curls down my back and matching doe eyes to go with it. And thank my lucky stars above, I also had great boobs. _Thank you Grandma Swan for sending the DD's to me!_ I was always told that I was quite pretty though at the time I never saw it, I just saw a girl with boring brown hair and dull brown eyes. I was also fairly popular in school and had several friends which in most circumstances would have meant that my life was pretty close to being perfect for someone my age.

That is until you factored in Charlie, my dad who was extremely strict with me; he wouldn't let me associate with boys outside of school. What he didn't know was that most of my friends at school _were_ boys...and considering he was the Chief of Police he sure missed that fact. But Edward seemed to be the exception to that 'no boys' rule though. I never understood why Charlie was okay with the new, older guy spending time with me and not Jasper and Emmet who I've been friends with for as long as I can remember, we were all born within the same week, shared a crib and had our first days of school together, but who knows. We got to high school and things changed, in Charlie's eyes they were suddenly 'boys' and no longer allowed to be my best friends. I was allowed to spend as much time as I wanted with female friends, but truth be told, I couldn't stand Jessica and Lauren, one could never keep her mouth shut and the other couldn't keep her legs shut.

With Edward, it was like a whole different story; maybe it was because Charlie thought that Edward was an adult _technically_ and wouldn't be interested in being anything more than just friends with someone who's still _technically_ a kid. My dad's logic may have been flawed but I was never going to argue with him.

From the day Edward moved in the two of us were always hanging out. We'd spend most days reading books, fixing up his Volvo, or playing on the swings in the park. Just as friends of course, though in reality, that was the summer that I fell in love with him. It was just never something I could tell him, it's not like he could ever possibly felt the same way...

Summer came and was nearly over, Edward's 19th birthday passed and I was back in school. My birthday was fast approaching and my dad decided to throw me a surprise slumber party. He had invited a bunch of the girls from school, some I was friends with, and some who only came because they had heard about the 'hot guy next door' and wanted to catch a glimpse _at least they brought presents_. My biggest surprise was that my dad had also invited Edward. That alone was the best present I could have ever asked for. Towards the end of the night we were all down in the basement listening to the mixed CD that Edward had given me.

We were all rocking out and dancing like fools to whatever fast songs were playing. Then all of a sudden 'Truly, Madly, Deeply' came on. Everyone decided to take a break and sat down for that. It was lame to dance to a slow song by yourself. I nearly had a heart attack when I looked up and saw Edward stood in front of me. He held out his hand and asked me to dance with him. I smiled and placed my hand in his and when our hands touched I could feel the electricity pulsing between us. It was the first time we'd ever really had any physical contact. He took my hands and placed my arms around his neck and then lowered his hands so they were around my waist and started swaying back and forth. When he started singing along I thought I really had died and gone to heaven. You know the scene at the end of Casper when he is dancing with Kat and they start floating, _that _is exactly how I felt at that moment; I only wished that he felt that way too.

Just after my 16th birthday my dad had agreed to let me spend a few hours after dark completely alone with Edward. There was a meteor shower that night and we went to lay down in a nearby meadow to watch the shooting stars. I made wish after wish that Edward and I would be together some day. While we were lying on the big blanket he brought under the clear, warm night sky of the last day of summer I could have sworn I saw Edward look at me, really look at me. We just laid there staring at each other for countless hours no longer paying any attention to the stars in the sky or the sun that was soon going to come up.

All at once the world changed, I was back on my cloud when Edward leaned closer to me and all I could think was, '_This is it! He's finally going to kiss me!'_ I was ready for it. I'd been hoping, praying and dreaming of this moment from the day that he moved in. Then 'BANG' less than half a second later we were interrupted by a gun being fired into the sky by my father. To say that he wasn't happy would be a vast understatement. He shined the flashlight in my eyes and all he said to me was, 'Let's go!' He then grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the meadow and away from Edward who was still sitting there staring after us with a completely stunned look on his face.

The following week I hardly saw Edward and when I did all he gave me was a small wave and a half smile. Nothing like the usual big crooked grin I was used to seeing when greeted by him. I hated the way things were after that. My father made sure I was always busy doing something; he even forced me to try out for cheerleading and was happy as could be when I made the squad, the squad that practiced 4 nights a week and then had a game every Friday. It was like boot camp with pom-poms. To make things even worse he even got Edward a job down at the station answering phones and filing papers. He arranged it to be the evening shift that kept him there most nights. I knew he just wanted to keep me away from the one person I was actually interested in.

My moods grew worse as the days, weeks and months went by. Cheerleading was more like acting class. I was going through the motions of it all, the high kicks and splits were just robotic movements, it was the smiling and appearing happy that I really had to force. Good thing I was enrolled in weekend classes at the local theatre. Eventually though my father got fed up with me being depressed at home. He shipped me off to visit my mom in Florida the first day of my Christmas vacation; he even got me out of school early to put me on a plane. Apparently getting away and getting some sun would be good for me. I cried myself to sleep for the first week I was there and then I finally broke down and told my erratic, hair brained mother the truth.

I told her everything. I told her about Edward moving to town in March and how without even trying he stole my heart. I told her about all the things we did and how he'd help me fix my bike when the chain broke, the way he would sit in his room and play his guitar and sing for me, even if he didn't know I was hiding in my room across the road listening. I even told her how he was trying to teach me to skateboard until I fell and cut my elbow open requiring 8 stitches. The lessons stopped after that. I even went into great detail about my party and the most perfect dance. She cried when I told her about the meteor shower in the meadow. Somehow I think she was rooting for it to work out.

For the next 2 weeks my mom helped to cheer me up. She told me that if Edward and I were meant to be fate would intervene and let it be known and when we are both ready for it, it will happen. She told me that fate was one of those things you just can't mess with and you just have to go along with it and deal with it...she said it was like taxes and death and that trying to cheat on either wouldn't end well. Time was up and I had to go back to Forks, back to school and back to the daily theatre production I put on called 'I'm Happy.' I hugged and kissed my mom and told her I'd miss her and as I was stepping through security she told me to always remember what she said and that if it's true love, time and distance won't change anything.

**So, that was the first chapter, let me know what you think...and be harsh...I can handle it :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**As always the characters belong to S.M. however Edwards little sister (shout out to WonderWoman) and the storyline from this chapter belong to me. After all...part of this is based on my life...the rest will be pure fiction and bliss. No Lemons yet, but don't worry...soon you will have an entire chapter that is so lemony you will need to eat a spoonful of sugar!**

**Please Read, Review and Share this with your friends. 3 you all and Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 2:**

She must have known what she was sending me home to when she said those words because when I met my dad at the airport he wasn't wearing his police uniform, he was in some sort of stuffy looking suit. Instantly I knew something wasn't quite right; he wore that uniform nearly every day, unless he was off to La Push for a fishing trip with Harry and Billy then it was that horrible lumberjack coat and old jeans. But it was a Friday. Friday was a working day. I think he knew that I was onto him, that something was off about the whole situation. He didn't say much, to me. He gave me a hug and we walked over to the baggage claim to wait for my things.

After what seemed like ages I saw my first suitcase come out, I grabbed it off the conveyor belt and we waited for the big suitcase. The one full of all the ridiculous Christmas presents that my mom had given me. 3 new bikinis that I'd NEVER have a chance to wear in Forks, 3 DVD box sets: Friends, Stargate SG-1 and Sex in the City. Obviously she didn't think I was too young for those ones; just wait till dad sees those. She also bought me these ridiculous books about some boy wizard. Harry Pothead or something like that. Honestly I don't know what the woman was thinking when she got me those. Why would I want to read books about some drug addict wizard kid that uses weird potions and has a ginger kid for a friend, really, since when do ginger's have friends?

Finally! The god awful _Barbie Pink_ abomination appeared he picked up the ugly ass suitcase for me and then walked me out to the car. The Car! It was a sleek black Mercedes; I had to blink a few times because I could have sworn that it looked just like the Cullen's car. I think I got my hopes up a little too quickly because they came crashing down when I realized that this one still had the 'new car smell' and not the Edward's yummy body spray smell that I could remember lingering in the car. I asked what happened to the police cruiser and he told me it was parked safely at the station and he thought for Christmas he'd treat himself a new car. I just went along with it; driving in a nice black Merc was a hell of a lot better than being driven around in a cop car.

I was tired from the flight but after about 2 hours in the car I thought to myself, Seattle wasn't that far from home, 3 hours tops, we definitely should have been halfway there by now, we should have had trees surrounding us. I had an instant jolt of adrenaline kick in and I started to pay attention to where we were and then I realized that we weren't actually heading home towards Forks, we were nowhere near Olympic National Park and that the highway signs were all beginning to say we were getting closer and closer to Oregon. Sign after sign passed and then I saw it. 'Welcome to Oregon' and 'Portland 8 miles.' I was hoping that I was just dreaming and that I'd wake up and we'd be pulling into the drive way, but, after pinching myself quite hard, I was awake. I'll never forget the life changing conversation we had in the car that night...

'Cha...Dad, where are we going?' I asked with trepidation in my voice.

He took his eyes off the road long enough to look at me and say, 'Bella, we're going home. We'll be there in 10 minutes, and then once you've taken your stuff to your room we can sit down and talk.'

_Home? _What the hell does he mean we are going home? Home is in Forks, Washington, _NOT _Portland, Oregon. I took a few deep breaths and I tried to steady my voice and not sound completely panicked when I said, 'Dad, according to my internal magic eight ball all signs are pointing to Portland, Oregon...Not Forks. **Why aren't we going home to Forks**?'

'Because Bella,' he started to say in that awful patronizing voice he often takes on when trying to convince me that everything will be ok even when I really don't believe it, 'I got offered a job as a detective working in Portland. It pays a hell of a lot better than what I was making back in Forks and now I'll be able to send you to a decent university instead of 'Forks College, home of the going nowhere in lifers.' Bella, I know you don't see it now, but this will be good for you, I promise.' As sincere as he sounded I just couldn't take it.

I completely lost it, I just couldn't hold it in any more and started screaming at my father with all I had. 'Charlie! All my stuff is in Forks! My school is in Forks! All of my friends are in Forks! EDWARD is in Forks!' by the time I'd finished I was sobbing, mascara was dripping down my cheeks and staining the new white trip t-shirt my mom had got me from when she took me to _Coral Castle_. Ironically it was this huge display of love that was built by a man named _Edward Leedskalnin_ after he was left at the altar by his 16 year old fiancée for 'unknown reasons'. My guess is her father had something to do with it. I wonder if Edward and I are their two lost souls being given a second chance to be together, if we are I'm glad that in this life I was given the name Bella, not Agnes.

Charlie didn't say anything to me after that; he just let me cry my eyes out. I guess he wasn't prepared for this sort of reaction. We finally arrived to the new 'house' in Portland. It was a penthouse apartment on a busy street and the view from my bedroom window was some lame park. Don't get me wrong or anything, the park looked beautiful, trees, a little lake with ducks but, it just was _not_ Edward's bedroom. Just the thought that I wouldn't be able to hide out and listen to him singing at night was depressing me even further, how in the world did Charlie expect me to be ok with this. UGH, I can hear him calling me, what the hell does he want now!

HOURS LATER...

_WHY ME?_

After listening to my father try to explain everything to me, and after me screaming and telling him that I hated him about a hundred times I just didn't know what to do. It turned out that my father had packed up the entire townhouse, stuck it all in a truck and shipped our things down to Portland and to make things even more permanent he even put our house on the market. He somehow managed to do all of this while I was in Jacksonville for 3 weeks. I tried asking him if he had been planning it for a while and he tried to deny it. I may have only been 16 but I'm not naive, fancy detective jobs aren't just handed out for fun, it was obviously something that he had planned. Plus, there is no possible way that he had time to go to Portland, find us a new place to live, sort out all the paper work, and arrange the entire move in less than 3 weeks. Oh, and not to mention he also had me enrolled in a brand new school that I was due to start on Monday.

My depression quickly turned to anger and I told him I had no plans of speaking to him again. I stuck to it, when he spoke to me I'd either give a shrug when it was anything close to a yes or just shook my head at him when it was a no. I wasn't giving in. I was pissed off at him for taking me away from my life and for ripping my heart out. I woke up, went to school, ate my lunch alone every day and then after school I would go and sit in the park for hours. Those ducks had to have been the most well fed ducks in the entire state because I had taken to feeding them a loaf of bread a day. They were my only friends. I had a black duck with the weirdest golden yellow eyes that I named Steve and a pair of Canadian Geese that I named Jasper and Emmet, they were so friendly to me and they even ate straight out of my hand. I swear they seemed like they were always watching me and looking after me. It was only fair to name them after my two best friends.

The best day I'd had in forever came after being in Portland for about a month and a half. Charlie announced that we would be going to Forks for a couple days to close the deal on the house. I grabbed my overnight bag; put some of my best clothes in there, my camera and my laptop and was ready and waiting to go. When Charlie came to wake me up at 6am the following morning I was already showered, dressed and had my shoes and coat on. The drive felt like it took forever, granted it was only about 4.5 hours. We were meeting the realtor at the house so we were heading straight there. I was getting so excited. The anticipation of seeing Edward after all this time was unbearable. I just wanted to jump into his arms and tell him I loved him.

We pulled up to the gates, dad entered the code and we entered my own personal heaven. As soon as we made it to the end of the road I had my seatbelt off. The second the car slowed down I jumped out, not even waiting for him to come to a complete stop, I knew I'd hear about it later but I didn't care and at that point, nothing would make me. The second my feet hit the pavement I took off and ran straight for Edwards's door like my life was depending on it. I went up the steps two at a time and for someone as vertically challenged as me it was almost as if I had flown up them. I knocked as loud and furiously as I could on the door, I needed them to hear me from whatever room of the house they were in.

I could hear footsteps approaching. They were loud so it was either someone angry that I had woken up the whole house or one of the kids. Edward always walked like a ninja, gracefully and quiet as a mouse, he must have been in bed still. I could hear the alarm being disabled, beep... beep... beep... beep... beeeeeeeeeeeeep... It was off and I was one step closer to my Edward. Next the chain on the door was removed, and then I heard the deadbolt click unlocked. My heart was absolutely racing by this point and then to my utter relief the door knob turned. His little sister Kristen answered the door. She recognized me and stared yelling for her parents. I was trying to ask her if Edward was home but she wasn't talking to me, she just ran into the house and I could hear her mumbling to her mom and dad that it was me at the door.

I stood outside on the doorstep and waited. Charlie was off dealing with the realtor so I just focused on the task at hand. Eventually Carlisle and Esme got to the door. They smiled at me with sad looking smiles and asked me to come inside. It was the first time that I had been in their house. It was so beautiful. They even had a baby grand piano where the dining room should have been. How they got that in the house I'll never know. It was nearly impossible to move couches in let alone a whole piano. After a few pleasantries and such about how I was finding Portland and my new house and school I finally got down to the reason I was there.

I asked them if Edward was still sleeping and if it would be ok if I cut the chat short and just went upstairs to wake him up, I told them their house was the mirror image of mine and that I knew what room was his. Esme chose that moment to speak up and suggested that I should maybe sit down because she had something important to tell me. She started to say how she knew how I felt about her son, and that she thought it was wrong of my father to react the way he did, I agreed with her. It wasn't fair at all. She started to cry and that immediately set me off as well, I knew the bad news was coming when Carlisle said that Edward had decided that he didn't want to stay in Forks any longer and that he had gone back to Chicago to live with his Aunt and Uncle.

My world came crashing down that morning. Suddenly there was a knock on the front door and Charlie was standing beside me. I vaguely remember him apologizing to the Cullen's for barging in on them and then I was put in the car. I never got to say goodbye properly, my father tore me away before I could even get any contact information from his family. I was left with nothing but a broken heart.

**Dun. Dun. Dun. Thank you in advance for your reviews. I will reply to everyone. Enjoy and Share the Love. More to come Very Soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Characters belong to the Rich and Powerful SM. Story is All Mine! **

**I have also decided to make this LONGER! Aiming for 5-6 Chapters and if you want it a HEA. **

**Please Read and Review.**

**Chapter 3**

It was Valentine's Day and it meant nothing to me. Less than 24 hours before my heart was ripped out and put in a blender. I didn't think that I would ever forgive Charlie for what he did to me. When we got back to Portland I locked myself in my room. I went onto Google and tried to find the Cullen's phone number, turns out they were unlisted. I tried calling Fork's General Hospital and they told me that Carlisle had handed his notice in 2 weeks prior and that he would be transferring to a hospital in Texas. I said I was a family friend and I really needed to get in touch with him but they wouldn't give me any details, not even what hospital he was going to.

I had I spent the next 6 months alone. I attended a lame school that I hated with a passion; I had no real friends there. I just went to class, listened, did my work and went home. I got straight A's and by the end of the year I had made it to the top of the class. When it came time to chose courses for the following year I made sure that they were all AP classes as I wanted to make sure that I got some sort of scholarship so I could get the hell away from Portland.

It was a lonely time for me. I spent that first summer without Edward reading a book a day in the park with my Geese. The local librarian knew my name and always had a new book waiting for me and would often let me in just before opening time. During the day when I stopped in at the penthouse I would move onto the next number on the list. By the end of summer I had called every hospital in Texas looking for a sign of the Cullen's however no one could tell me anything. To make things worse I had still barely said 3 words to Charlie. It was the week before school was due to start back up and I knew that I had to make a change. I'd spent too long being depressed and alone.

Charlie had the day off so I took the chance to speak to him. I told him I was still upset over everything that had happened. That I wasn't a child and that it had been terrible the way he took me away from Edward and had banned me from being friends with boys. I told him that I was done being angry with him and that I wanted the new school year to be a fresh start. He hugged me, apologized and said he was sorry for everything. He took me out shopping for new things for school and even told me he tried to find the Cullen's as well. I bit my tongue before telling him that he was obviously a terrible detective.

School started. I walked in with a new haircut, new clothes and a new outlook on life. I looked hot and was ready to embrace the new me. I wasn't entirely sure who that was yet, but I wasn't going to tempt fate or try to force anything. I was going to take my mother's advice and just go with it. After all it's what she did and she was happily married to Phil for nearly 4 years now. I just had to take things as they came and adapt to the changes. First change I made was adding Acting to my schedule and dropping Accounting. With every other class being AP I needed the chance to be someone else for an hour a day. I even tried out for the cheerleading squad and devoted my life to all the extracurricular activities that I could fit in.

I wasn't going to give up on finding Edward but I knew I had to keep living my life to the fullest, Carpe diem. Edward wouldn't want me to continue being depressed. Hell, I wasn't even sure if Edward had really cared that much for me. He knew where I'd moved to. He could have easily found me. There was only one Detective Swan in the entire state of Oregon and I knew Edward wasn't an idiot; it would have taken one phone call for him to find me. It was nearly a year since the fateful night that tore us apart and hope was fading fast. It was time to move on.

My 17th birthday had arrived. I was woken up by my dad who came in with presents, an unwrapped camera and a photo album. I'm guessing it was a used camera, oh well it's the thought that counts and to be fair it was a pretty expensive piece of machinery. I thanked him for it and he told me that it was from my Mom and Phil...No wonder it wasn't wrapped. She probably just stuck it in a box with those foam packing peanuts and shipped it to my dad's office. He then told me to hurry up and get dressed so he could give me his gift. I got dressed in my cheerleading uniform because it was game day and finished getting ready for school. I got downstairs and was greeted by my favourite breakfast: bacon, over easy eggs for dipping, toast and a stack of pancakes with maple syrup. I saw the empty take out containers on the counter and laughed because I knew my dad couldn't cook. But again, it was the thought that counted. And no one could resist an IHOP breakfast.

Thinking that was my gift from Charlie I finished eating and went to leave, if I wasn't out the door in 2 minutes I'd be late for school and I couldn't accept that. As I was heading to the door I realized that my keys weren't on the counter where I always left them. I started to search everywhere, I even checked in the fridge because sometimes I just had those days where I wasn't thinking right and I ended up doing random things. One morning there was toilet paper in the fridge. Not sure how or why, but it was during my dark days so I just accepted I was losing my mind. This time though I knew I'd left the keys by the door.

As I was about to shout for my dad he walked up to me, handed me a pair of scissors and my keys. I instantly noticed that there was a new key ring on there. It was an old looking key to a Ford. I guess when he saw the look on my face while I was trying to calculate just what was going on he had directed me out the doorway and told me to look up. There in the middle of the drive way was my dream car. A 1967 Mustang convertible in a very faded candy apple red, the top was down and I could see that it needed some work on the interior but it was perfect! I cut the big red bow off and jumped in the driver's seat so I could rush to school before being late.

As I was driving I noticed that there was a CD player installed, I guess the previous owner was pretty into his music. I flipped it on and realized there was already a CD inside. It was a mix with a lot of great bands that I loved. _Savage Garden _came on and I did everything I could not to cry. I told myself that it was a happy memory and that I couldn't let it cripple me. It was also the first time I'd heard the song since leaving Fork's. Things improved the minute I pulled into the school parking lot and got a great space, right out front of the building in the first available spot next to the teacher's car lot. I put the top up just to be safe; you never know when it's going to rain in this town. I had a few minutes till the first bell so I took my time walking in.

I hadn't really told anyone about my birthday as I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. I'm sure they will ask why I got the new car but people were usually too caught up in their own drama to notice things like a beat up old car. The bell rang so it was time to drop my books off and head to my first class. As soon as I stepped into the hallway I could smell it. That familiar smell that always made me smile, I looked up and there it was: a pink carnation taped to the front of a locker. As I got closer I realized that it was _my_ locker, I checked inside hoping for an answer but I found that there was no note. The only person that knew that was my favourite flower was Edward.

After my brush with destiny over the song and the flower things steadied out and I had no more surprises. School went on and the year was drawing to a close. I rocked the party, I was one of the best cheerleaders, I was crowned Spring Fling Queen despite being single and never having a boyfriend, and I did get to dance with the Quarterback of the Varsity Football team. With all of that, I had also managed to maintain my 4.0 average; I had a perfect attendance record with zero lates or absences. I applied for as many schools and scholarships as I could, Harvard, Yale and Dartmouth being among my top 3 choices. I was the valedictorian and gave an epic speech.

Summer started and I received my first of 3 acceptance letters. University of Oregon, Harvard and Dartmouth, they all offered me full scholarships into their English Lit as well as drama programs. It was a hard decision to make and I really didn't know what I was going to do. I decided to turn down U of O as I wanted OUT of Oregon. It came down to two amazing schools and how do you choose between a Harvard education and a Dartmouth one. Both were far away from home which was what I wanted. I made the final decision the day of my deadline when I found a penny on the ground. I decided heads I go to Harvard, Tails I choose Dartmouth. To be fair I'd do best 2/3. The first flip: Tails. The second: Tails. And just to make sure the third and pointless flip: Tails!

The fall came and I was off on my own for the first time in my life. I was nearly 18 and I was proud to be attending Dartmouth on a full scholarship. I worked hard and played hard. I chose to follow my heart and go with English lit and Theatre. Once I was off to school I met new friends, some cute boys and I finally lost my virginity to a guy in one of my theatre classes that I'd been dating for a month or so. It wasn't exactly romantic or magical but the deed was done. I had always imagined my first time being like the 4th of July, full of excitement and firecrackers.

After Garret and I broke up I decided I had a lot of catching up to do in the dating department but never had any relationships that lasted more than a few months. They just weren't my 'one'. As soon as I realized that I was bored with them. I was getting a reputation for being a heart breaker. It wasn't my fault though. I already knew what and more importantly _who_ I wanted to spend my life with, but he fell off the planet and I kept my searching for him to a minimum. After a talk with my mom she reminded me that things happen when you least expect them to. I was hoping she was right.

After 4 long years I finally managed to get my degree. I wasn't sure what I'd be doing with it but once I was out of school I began working as a teacher part time and to keep myself busy I was working towards my PhD in English and American Literature. I'm hoping to one day teach at a University level. The pay is better and I wouldn't be stuck with snot nosed 6th graders putting tacks on my chairs and replacing my dry erase markers with permanent ones. Kids were definitely more creative than they used to be.

A year later I finally did find Edward; I was looking on the lyrics page of this hot new CD I'd bought and I saw his name there, well I'd hoped it was him. I decided that now I had a bit more information that I'd do another quick Google Search, I typed in the name Edward Anthony Masen. Hundreds of results popped up, including a picture of him with a band. He followed his heart over the years and he'd made it into the music business as a very successful song writer. Of course this meant that he was now completely un-touchable for a regular average woman like me. He probably didn't even remember me, what were the odds?

I decided to look a little further and some of the songs he's written made me think that he had remembered me. I came across one called _Stolen Juliet_ and my heart skipped a beat. I jumped to the lyrics page and read through them, as I got to the chorus I saw it: '_She had eyes I adore, A nose so cute, Lips made to kiss, the Juliet that I miss_.' I was full on crying by that point, how could that possibly be about anyone else? I was his Juliet!

**Ok. I hope I haven't lost you all yet. This Chapter was mainly there to shed some light on Bella's life after the loss of Edward. Next Chapter our resident Lonley Girl finally gets to be happy. I'd love to hear from you so please leave a review. Thanks to everyone who has marked this down as a favourite story! I hope I dont disappoint! Please tell all your friends and share the love. **


	4. Chapter 4

**OK...Chapter 4... I know I originally said that this was going to be 3-4 chapters...but I have felt inspired lately. The original story I wrote was 2 chapters, barely 5,000 words, I figured everyone in the FF world deserved a bit more than just the wham bam thank you ma'am approach. This jumps ahead a bit and brings us up to present day. At this point it will be 6 chapters minimum. Once the story is over, if I've had a good enough response to it I'll write a HEA...if not...well someone will die in a tragic way. **

**As always SM owns the characters, I own the story! **

****I'd love to hear from all of you so Please, Read and Review. ****

**Chapter 4**

It's now been over 10 years since I'd last seen Edward Cullen. Life for me has always been full of tragedy and loss, the loss of hope, the loss of my youth and worst of all the loss of my heart. After several failed relationships over the past decade I've very nearly given up on finding a decent man to be with. I finished my PhD in English and American Literature and applied for jobs at universities all over the country. I still have yet to hear back from any of them with a job offer. I'm now teaching English full time at Fork's High School. Going back to the 'small town' life hasn't been easy for me but I needed to work, if I didn't stay busy I'd lose my mind.

I just got out of a year long relationship with Mike Newton. Yes, the same Mike Newton who was the Village Idiot. He got hot when he grew up, and he had taken over running his parents sporting goods shop so he at least had a stable job. The downside of it all though, he wasn't so great with the commitment side of things, I can't say that I loved him or anything; it was just a comfort thing for us. I didn't want to be alone and he seemed to care about me. Things were working out fine, we stayed at each other's places every other day and it seemed like a healthy relationship.

School had just ended and I was finishing off grading the last of the final exams and then I'd be done. I still had at least a week's worth of work to do as I was the ONLY English teacher in the school. It was just before noon and I'd only been in my classroom for about 3 hours when I gave up for the day. I had a terrible migraine and couldn't concentrate. And I was Miss Swan, the teacher that everyone loved and I didn't want to take my bad mood out on their finals. I headed back to Mike's place as I knew he'd be home, he always took Wednesdays off so I thought maybe he'd take care of me.

As I unlocked the door I could hear noises coming from upstairs, my first thought was _seriously, 12:20 in the afternoon and he's watching porn? _ At that point I crept up the stairs as quietly as I possibly could. I wanted to sneak up on him and see if maybe I could help him out a bit and maybe get rid of my headache with an orgasm or three. I reached the top of the stairs and the closer I got to the computer room the more I noticed the sound was coming from the bedroom. I guess he had taken his laptop in there. To be fair for him it the bed is more comfortable than that horrid office chair, and it's also more convenient for what I had planned for him.

I started to take my shirt off and then I heard it, that horrible whining voice that I absolutely dreaded every time we went to the diner. I was suddenly furious, I shoved the door open as hard and fast as I could and was face to face with Lauren Mallory who was busy riding Mike reverse cowgirl style. Putting it mildly, I flipped out, I grabbed the skanky whore by the hair and dragged her off of him, I told him not to move and I pushed the bitch down the stairs and out the door locking it behind her. She was on the doorstep completely naked for everyone to see. I got to the top of the stairs where that asshole was standing there holding her things. I went to the front window and threw her things out side.

Then I let Mike have it. I ripped him a new one and told him it was over, I was done being his supposed girlfriend. I made sure to rub it in that I never loved him; he had been telling me every day for the past 6 months that he was in love with me. He had even hinted towards marriage a few times. I'm glad my heart was never in it. I was so pissed off at him. I grabbed one of his suitcases and filled it with everything of mine that was in his house, right down to the spare toothbrush that I kept there. While I was at it I tossed his in the toilet, along with all of his expensive 'beauty products'.

After that I went home, sat on my couch and turned on the TV to the local music station. Some horrible _Justin Bieber_ song had just ended and _Michael Bublé_ came on next, I loved him and his music. He was definitely one of my favourite artists. I couldn't help but sing along '_A foggy day in London Town, Had me low, had me down. I viewed the morning with such alarm, British museum had lost its charm. How long, I wonder, could this thing last? But the age of miracles hadn't past, for suddenly I saw you there. And through foggy London town the sun was shining everywhere._'

That was the moment I decided I needed a change of scenery to help fix my life. I went online and booked a last minute holiday for a great price, I guess one good thing came out of dating Mike, he always insisted on paying for things so my savings account had grown quite significantly. Even after paying for the flights and hotel I still had over $5k in the bank. I was leaving in 9 days. I worked my ass off for the next week at the school; I finished grading all 351 of the papers and was happy that most of my students had passed.

Today is the day. I woke up feeling absolutely great. My bags were packed, I'd hired a limo to take me to the airport as it was cheaper than parking my car there for 2 weeks and I was off to London. I was going to see Buckingham Palace, the British Museum, sing in the rain filled streets and spend a foggy day in London Town. The limo pulled up to my house right on time and I was shocked when I opened my door to see Emmet McCarty standing at my door. I was told he'd moved to Seattle, turns out he owned the limo company and when he saw a booking with my name on it he insisted on being the one to drive me.

I tried to sit in the front with me but he flat out refused, he said it was more fun for me if I got the full experience; he even popped a bottle of champagne open for me. It was a 3 hour drive to the airport and we chatted the entire time he moved to Seattle for college and played on the varsity team, after he graduated he opened up Rosy Car's with his wife, specializing in renting out luxury cars and offering a limousine service. His wife Rosalie was a mechanic and they met while he was playing football, she was a cheerleader, they fell in love and married as soon as they could. I was really happy for him.

Jasper had also moved to Seattle. He was working as a psychologist and he owned his own practice. I asked if he was still single, I already knew Emmet was off limits. Luck wasn't on my side though; he was married to none other than the lunatic Alice Brandon. I guess he was able to sort out her 'visions', at least I hoped so, she was still a nutcase the last I'd heard. I was thrilled that he was doing so great, he was always so good with knowing how people were feeling emotionally, it was only natural for him to go to school to treat mood disorders.

It seemed like everyone around me was able to sort their life out, I learned that some people never changed. Jessica was even a radio host for some talk radio station, for the girl that could never shut up in high school I guess she found her calling. As we pulled up to the departures area I was sad to be getting out of the car. It was so nice to catch up on everything. Emmet opened up my door and let me out, we stood there hugging for about 15 minutes, I think people were staring, I would have, who hugs their limo driver? I had my suitcase in hand and was ready to go.

The day was getting better and better for me, the guy at the check in desk told me that he was upgrading my ticket to first class for me at no extra charge and handed me a pass to get into the private lounge to wait for my flight. Suddenly being trapped in a flying death trap for 8 hours wasn't so bad. I was directed to my seat, front row, loads of leg room, my own personal 22 inch TV with my choice of 15 films. I was given more champagne as soon as I was seated. For dinner I had an amazing meal of chicken and pasta followed by crème brûlée. I was also taking advantage of the free alcohol as I was a very nervous flyer. It helped calm my nerves.

We would be flying over night and arriving in London at 2pm local time so I was given a complimentary blanket, eye mask and slipper socks to make my sleep as comfortable as possible. I was far too scared to sleep so I continued to drink and enjoy the free snacks while watching a documentary on penguins and how they mate for life. Even the freaking penguins had more luck than I did when it came to dating! The fasten seatbelt sign came on and they announced we were about to land. As soon as I touched down I knew that this trip was exactly what I needed, I was the first person off the plane and because of the amazing upgrade I was the first person to have my baggage off the plane as well. I'd definitely be flying with these guys again! I headed to the departure doors to find the car service that would take me to my hotel.

I saw a sign being held up with the name 'Isabella Swan' on it, it was being held high by an absolutely gorgeous man. Part of me wondered if he came with the vacation package too, hey a girl's got needs and this man was very easy on the eyes. I approached him, told him I was Bella Swan and he immediately took my bags and directed me to the limo outside. He introduced himself to me as Alistair and said if I needed anything at all to just let him know, the dirty thoughts that ran through my mind, I swear they would have made a porn star blush!

We pulled up to the _Mayfair Hotel_, which turned out to be a 5 star _Radisson Edwardian Hotel_. The driver let me out right up front, I gave him a tip, and the bellhop took my bags inside. I was just looking around the lobby, it was beautiful. Dark purple suede couches, a stone fireplace, and black marble floors, I couldn't wait to see my room! I went to the front desk and signed the paper work, the concierge told me about the full Spa, the bar and restaurant, and all of the services that were on offer to me. The bellhop led me up to my room. A king size bed, a bathroom the size of my apartment in Fork's and a view that was to die for!

I was in my own personal heaven and I wanted to see more. I decided to skip a nap even though I hadn't slept in who knows how long to go find some place to eat. The food on the plane was amazing but that was HOURS ago and I think I was still a bit tipsy from the flight. I changed my clothes, grabbed my coat and hotel key and went to enjoy the city. On my way out the door I stopped to ask the concierge which way was best to walk to find something quick to eat, I was directed out the door and told to walk down towards Piccadilly Street. When I saw Green Park, I was told to take a left and I'd be sure to find something.

I was walking down Bond Street when I thought I saw _him_, but it was impossible. There was no possible way that could have been Edward; it was just my exhausted mind playing tricks on me. Instead of getting my hopes up I continued on. Then it happened again, twice more, I saw that flash of coppery auburn hair and I swore I was losing my mind. I just kept telling myself that I was jet lagged and tired and that I must be seeing things. I stopped at a little Gregg's Cafe that looked empty, grabbed a random sandwich from the display and dropped £5 on the counter. I told them to keep the change and I sat down to eat.

Just as I finished eating and was stepping out the door I saw a music store, through the window I saw the back of a man's head. It was the same flash of auburn hair that I'd been seeing all afternoon. I couldn't take it anymore I had to get out of there so I practically ran back to my hotel. Eating didn't work so I decided I needed to get some sleep and fast. I couldn't let myself get my hopes up, it would break me and it took years for me to get over losing him the first time. It was just some man with the same hair.

Despite getting lost twice and nearly tripping over the cobble stone road I finally made it back to the hotel, people on the street probably thought I was some crazed American when I rushed past them. I sat on a bench outside to catch my breath before going back inside. It was a fancy hotel and I didn't want to be thrown out for bad behaviour. I had calmed down, straightened out my clothes, and fixed my hair. I made sure that I had my key card still and made my way to the grand entrance. The doorman smiled at me asked if I was ok as he'd seen me run up before. I told him I was fine and that I had been on a plane for so long that I just needed a good run. He laughed, mumbled something about Americans and running and welcomed me to the hotel.

He opened the door for me and just as I stepped through it happened. Time Froze. I didn't hear the door close behind me. The world around me had completely stopped. All I could hear was my blood rushing through my body and my heartbeat pulsing through my head. I had to blink about a hundred times and I prayed that I wasn't going to pass out. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

I was standing face to face with the man of my dreams.

**I hope you enjoyed, next chapter coming soon! Please Leave a Review, Questions, Comments, Requests... Everything is welcome :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello Everyone! **

**Sorry I've made you wait a few days for this one...But this is the chapter you've all been waiting for. Its Edward Time! **

**Characters belong to SM. I own the Story. **

**Please Read and Review...Special Reward for those of you that Review...A taste of the Lemon Zest that we know will happen next chapter... ;)**

**Chapter 5**

I had to pinch myself. It was the only option. _Ouch!_ That bloody hurt! I blinked again and finally accepted the truth. He really was here, in _my _hotel of all the places in the world he could have been at that exact moment. It was him _my_ Edward Cullen! He still has the absolutely flawless alabaster skin, completely crazy sex hair that even after 10 years it seems like he still hasn't quite figured out how to control it, that's fine by me though because the look works for him. He still has the most piercing emerald green eyes ever created by man. And he seems taller and even more muscular than when we were younger. I nearly cried he was more amazing than even my best memory of him.

He was looking right at me with the same look that I can image that I had on my face. Hope, wonder and love...no, that I _must_ be imagining, there is no way that he is possibly looking at me with love in his eyes. It's been 10 years; he can't possibly still have feelings for me too. While we were staring at each other we were unconsciously moving closer and closer together. Once he was within two feet of me every feeling I had about him came rushing back. It was real, I could feel the electricity between us, and it was so powerful you could almost hear the hum of it in the air.

We just stood there as time passed us by. Just watching the other with absolute awe and adoration, I wanted to say something but my brain wouldn't put together a simple sentence. The only thing I could think about was how much I loved and missed him and how all those years of trying to forget him and to move on were useless against how I was feeling at this very moment. It was almost as if the last 10 years hadn't happened. My luck has always been terrible, there was no way that this could possibly happen to me without some sort of epic downfall. I was still staring at him, watching him, I saw him raise his left hand and run it through his hair, no wedding ring. That was a start. He probably had a girlfriend though; no one that amazing could possibly be single.

After an unknown amount of time, it could have been hours, or minutes I don't even know. He was the one to speak first. 'Bella,' was all he whispered, saying my name like it was a common prayer. I think my heart melted like butter in a frying pan at that exact moment. All I could do was smile, bite my lower lip and offer him a slight nod, I was speechless. He looked at me with a twinkle in his eyes and said quietly, 'Bella, oh my Bella.' _Wait! Did he just say My Bella_? 'You are really here. All afternoon I kept seeing you, always down the road, out of the corner of my eye, in a shop window across the street from me always just out of the range of my eye sight. I couldn't believe it was really you, I couldn't imagine a single reason why you would be here in London. I couldn't let myself hope, I couldn't take it if the world let me down again.'

Again, our being apart hurt him too. He really did care about me. I could feel my eyes starting to tear up but I wouldn't let them spill over. I had to keep it together, then I finally found the words to speak, they came out in a whisper, 'I saw you too, I thought I was hallucinating because I'm tired and jet lagged and I came back here to nap, and now...' I had to take a deep breath before continuing, it was all I could do to stop myself from fainting on the spot, my voice was getting louder and I was talking faster and faster, 'you're here. Wait. Why are you here? In _my_ hotel in London of all the places you could be?' I realised I was ranting but Edward was here. I was here. We were both _here _at the same time, halfway across the world.

He looked at me and chuckled softly giving me his perfect crooked grin that I knew, he was truly happy, he wasn't faking it. 'Bella, I'm staying in this hotel. I came to London to get away from LA for a while. I needed to take a break from those fake tanned, fake hair, fake _everything_ and their constant _"Edward why are you single, Edward go out with me, Edward why won't you date anyone, __Edward are you gay?"_...UGH! The Edward this and the Edward that's were just getting to me. I couldn't take it anymore; I had to get out of that horrible city before I jumped off a cliff! Plus, I always wanted to go to London when I was younger, so, now I'm here to see the sights, to relax, to just be. You know?' He paused and shook his head mournfully before continuing, 'You know, you are the last person I ever thought I'd see again. You just left that Christmas, you never said bye, and I knew your dad was mad when he kept us apart but...'

'I know,' I interrupted him. I had to fix this. 'Trust me I know. When I got back from my mom's house in Florida Charlie drove us straight into Portland. I was so angry at him. Apparently he packed everything and sold the house while I was gone. He got a job as a detective, he claimed that it was to give me a better chance at a good future, but back then I didn't want my future to exist without you.' I admitted and blushed furiously. He smiled at me giving the go ahead to keep talking so I continued, 'I did get a chance to go back a couple of months after we'd moved though. You had already left for your Aunt and Uncle's in Chicago. I wanted to get some sort of contact information from your parents but Charlie ruined the day again. I was so heartbroken I cried myself to sleep for months before Charlie threatened to send me to therapy.'

I was starting to get upset. Edward led us over to the beautiful sitting area, I realized we'd been standing in the middle of the hotel foyer and probably looked like a couple of fools. Edward took this opportunity to speak. 'I wanted to get in touch with you but Charlie flipped out at me while you were in Florida, he told me I needed to stay away from you, that he would have me arrested because you were still just a child and I was an adult.' Edward was filling in a lot of blanks for me, the things Charlie refused to tell me. 'Those months when I was working with him at the station were the worst of my life. He wasn't giving me a choice though.'

Edward seemed about as sad and angry about everything as I was I was about to speak when he started again, 'I'm sorry I wasn't there. I had to leave though...I couldn't stand to look out my bedroom window and have that pimple faced new kid looking back at me. When I found out that you were leaving it broke my heart. I tried to cope, I just didn't know how, I was so frustrated with Charlie and with losing you that one night I went out and started a fire in the meadow. It was the place that our lives were torn apart, I hated that it got to exist in peace when we couldn't. Anyways, I got caught and it was my parents that sent me off to Chicago.'

I just didn't know what to say. I never imagined that he felt that strongly about me. 'I know how you felt Edward.' I wasn't sure if I should tell him the truth but he was just so honest with me. I took another deep breath and continued, 'After that first summer without you I didn't know what to do, I'd spent so much time alone and was so depressed. I found out that Carlisle had transferred to a hospital in Texas so I got a list and tried every hospital but no one could help me. That was the turning point for me, I wasn't going to give up trying to find you, my heart wouldn't let me, but I knew I had to start living my life. So I did what I had to, I told myself everything happens for a reason and I put all my effort into school. I ended up graduating with honours and I got a scholarship to Dartmouth and I got my PhD in English and American Literature.'

Edward reached out and hugged me, pulling me close to him. It was heaven being wrapped up in his arms inhaling his intoxicating sweet and perfect Edward scent. As he was releasing me from the best hug of my life he was saying, 'Oh Bella, I'm so proud of you. Are you teaching English? You always loved to read. I can remember watching you sitting on your window seat reading by the moonlight, you were always so beautiful.'

He thought I was beautiful. Edward 'sexiest man I'd ever met' Cullen thought _I_ was beautiful. Today was turning out to be _the_ best day of my life. We sat for a while talking, I was so tired but I just couldn't stop talking to him. It was like the good old days when we'd sit for hours and just chat about anything and everything. He told me about LA, about how he entered a song writing competition and was chosen and that his career skyrocketed from there. I gushed on and on about how proud of him I was.

I yawned for the millionth time, Edward noticed, I hope he didn't think I was bored talking to him. In that split second I decided I was going to do something crazy, even crazier than stepping onto a frozen lake before checking the ice. I was going to ask Edward to dinner. 'Hey Edward...'

'Yes.' He answered and I prayed that he really would say yes.

'Um, do you maybe want to...?' Oh God, please let him say yes. 'Do you want to go to dinner with me tonight?' OK I said it. Now, fingers are crossed, toes are crossed, and while I waited for his reply I started chanting in my head please say yes, please say yes.

'Bella, there is nothing I would rather do tonight.' He said YES! Happy dance time! Wait he's still talking, 'and I know you are tired from your flight so why don't you let me take care of the reservations. I'll arrange everything, you go take a power nap and I'll pick you up at 9 o'clock. Italian is still your favourite food right?'

Wow, he remembered. 'Yes, you remembered.' I said with complete astonishment in my voice.

'Of course I did, I remember everything about you Isabella Marie Swan, now let me walk you to your room, I have plans to make!' He sounded excited and just like the Edward I remembered.

We got in the lift to my floor and the ride up was like floating on a cloud, we stepped out and the gentleman that he is offered me his arm as he walked me too my door. He gave me a hug and as he was releasing me he slid his hands down my arms and gave my hands a little squeeze. He told me he'd see me later and walked off as I was closing my door. I had 3 hours to find something to wear, take a shower, tame my crazy hair and to get some much needed rest to make sure I was on top of my game for later.

What to wear! I knew my fashion crazed best friend Gail had forced me to pack a few nice things to wear just in case. She was always the one to make sure I was prepared for anything. She told me she put some dresses from her shop in my case so I wasn't too worried. I went to my garment bag I had tossed over the end of the spare bed, closed my eyes and pulled the zipper down. I had no idea what to be expecting when I opened my eyes. I promised her I'd wait till I was here to look. She wanted me to be surprised. She said it was an early birthday present for me.

I opened my eyes and looked down. It was absolutely perfect! I checked the dangling price tags that Gail had left on it and no surprise at all found it to be my size and that she'd torn the actual price off of it. I had a strong feeling it was out of her new designer line she had brought out which meant it was expensive. I could only thank her for being so amazing. I carefully removed the tags and hung the dress on the back of the bathroom door, set my alarm to go off at 8pm and then I called down to the front desk to request a wakeup call at 8:05pm just to be safe, I called down to confirm 2 minutes later that they had definitely listed it as PM not AM. There was no way I was going to let myself miss my first real date with my Edward.

**So...What did you think of that chapter? Let me hear your thoughts on it. Also, check out a story by Wonder Woman 1982. It's made for all you Bella and Jasper lovers. It's called 'A New Beginning'. http: / / www . fanfiction . net/s/7347575/1/A_New_Beginning (remove the spaces :D)**


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